The present invention relates generally to vehicle load carriers including recreational equipment racks adapted for exterior engagement on a vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a fastening or clamping mechanism for use with a vehicle load carrier that may include an integrated torque-applying tool.
Vehicle load carriers having recreational equipment racks adapted for engagement on the exterior of a vehicle are widely known. These racks typically include a number of component parts, with various fastening mechanisms being provided to secure the component parts together, or to secure various articles to the rack. The existing fastening mechanisms suffer from various problems. Some are difficult to operate, others require numerous parts and are thus costly to manufacture, while still others don""t tightly secure the fastened structures together.
One type of recreational equipment rack is hitch-mountable, and includes a fastening mechanism particularly adapted to secure the rack to a hitch receiver provided on the rear bumper region of a vehicle. These racks include a hitch attachment member configured to be inserted into the hitch receiver, with the hitch attachment member being secured to the hitch receiver using a conventional locking post and cotter pin arrangement. Specifically, an elongate post is inserted transversely through holes provided in the hitch attachment member and hitch receiver that are aligned when the attachment member is inserted into the receiver. When the locking post is thus inserted, it prevents the hitch attachment member from pulling out of the hitch receiver. The locking post includes a first end that is oversized or shaped to prevent it from passing through the aligned holes, while the other end of the post includes a transverse hole configured to permit insertion of the cotter pin.
The described cotter pin arrangement is effective under limited circumstances, however it provides no mechanism to easily and tightly secure a hitch attachment member within a hitch receiver. The conventional design thus allows play, shifting and other relative movements to occur between the hitch attachment member and hitch receiver. These relative movements can, in turn, lead to squeaking, rattling or other to undesirable noises. Also, relative movements occurring between the components can result in accelerated wear to the hitch receiver and hitch attachment member.